The All Progressives Congress and opposition parties on Wednesday clashed over claims by the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, that his life could be in danger, with the ruling party dismissing the allegation as baseless.

However, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, the Obidient Movement Worldwide and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party accused the Federal Government of targeting opposition figures and warned it would be held responsible if anything happened to the former Anambra State governor.

The reactions followed Obi’s remarks during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, in which he alleged that the FG had been frustrating his activities and those of other opposition figures, adding that he might not even be alive to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Responding to a question on whether there was a possibility he might not be a candidate in 2027, Obi said, “Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you.

“Every single thing I do for a living, this government is frustrating it, deliberately so, everything. So, there is even a possibility, if they have the opportunity, I will not be alive.”

He, however, clarified that he was not making direct accusations but described daily experiences of obstruction.

“It’s not an accusation. I know. I get frustration every day. Because you do things that you think would be normal—it is not normal anymore.

“They won’t come directly and say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ but you can see their hand in virtually everything,” Obi said.

Asked whether the government was attacking him personally, the former Anambra State governor said the alleged treatment extended to members of the opposition.

“They are attacking everybody who is in opposition personally. I am being attacked personally. Everything. Even to provide me with necessary things that I should have been entitled to, not at all,” he said.

Obi cited an incident at an airport where he claimed officials locked his car despite other vehicles being parked in the same area.

“I had a case recently at the airport, where people who work in the airport came and locked my car, my car. And I said, ‘It’s me.’ The person in charge said he doesn’t care

“But I said, ‘Look at the cars of other people.’ And you could see them talking to each other, as if, ‘who is this one?’”

He further alleged that some people now avoided publicly associating with him for fear of becoming targets.

“And I see people I know at the airport, they will not greet me because they are fearing that if they greet me…”

The former Labour Party presidential candidate also claimed that some supporters had discouraged him from attending family events.

“And I have people send me invitations and say, ‘My son, my daughter is wedding, but please don’t come,’” he said.

Obi did not provide evidence to support his allegations during the interview, and the Federal Government had yet to respond to his claims as of the time of filing this report.

Obi irrelevant – APC

Reacting, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, dismissed Obi’s allegations as baseless, insisting that it remained focused on governance and would defeat the opposition again in the 2027 election based on its performance.

Basiru said the APC remained focused on delivering good governance and was confident of defeating the opposition again in 2027.

“Obi has no relevance. Obi has been consigned to irrelevance, going by what the Nigerian people have been saying since that time. Obi and other opposition leaders have not made any showing in any electoral contest. The new party, NDC, we saw in the election three weeks ago in Ekiti and in some by-elections — they were not even known by the Nigerian people,” Basiru said.

“So, maybe Obi needs a psychiatric evaluation to know whether or not he is hallucinating. As far as we are concerned, the statement he made was born out of hallucination.

“APC is focused on delivering good governance that will renew the hope of all citizens. We are not bothered about Obi and other opposition leaders. We have defeated them in the past, and we will defeat them again in 2027 because our party has done well.”

He added, “The opposition has continued to resort to baseless allegations instead of presenting credible alternatives to Nigerians. Rather than engaging in fear-mongering and spreading unfounded claims, they should focus on explaining their programmes and policies to the electorate.

“In the APC government, our priority remains the implementation of policies that improve the lives of Nigerians, strengthen the economy, enhance security, and create opportunities for all citizens. We remain confident that our performance will speak for itself, and Nigerians will make their decision based on facts and results in 2027. And they will re-elect APC again.”

NDC warns FG

The National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Abdulmumin Abdulsalam, said the party was disturbed by Obi’s claims and accused the Federal Government of failing to provide adequate security for the opposition leader.

Abdulsalam said, “I read the statement credited to His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, our presidential candidate earlier today (Wednesday). And I must say that I was seriously disturbed. It was very concerning.

“Again, I must say the government of the day under President Bola Tinubu is not doing very well in terms of caring to provide security for him. We, as a party, believe that somebody in the calibre of Mr. Peter Obi, a two-time presidential candidate, who did very well, garnered a lot of votes from all the nooks and crannies of this country should have been treated better than the way the federal government is curently treating him.

“It is even looking like the establishment is actually not interested in his security. If you see Obi, it is not that he has decided to keep modest security around him. He has been denied. They have systematically ensured that he does not get adequate security protection.

“And as a party, we will hold the Federal Government responsible if anything happens to him because it is not about the state actors. There are non-state actors also who do not like him and may want to attempt something, either to intimidate, do bodily harm, or even attempt to take out his life as he has alleged. Nothing is impossible.”

He added, “We were all witnesses to what happened to former President Muhammadu Buhari, when he was attacked in Kaduna during the presidential campaign some time ago. Credit must be given to former President Goodluck Jonathan because we remember clearly that he provided him not just enough security officers from the DSS, army, and police, but also ensured that he gave him a bulletproof jeep.

“So, somebody in the standing of Peter Obi ought to have been treated better the way Jonathan treated Buhari. So, he is here today, he might not be there tomorrow. Any of his close relatives might also be vying for presidency tomorrow. How does he expect to be treated when he is treating another leader in this manner, simply because he has power?

“I think it’s a matter that, we as a party, are not happy about because the attempt on his life is very clear. When he went to Edo State, thugs were sent to attack him and they rained bullets on his vehicles. It was very obvious.

“Today, he is not being given adequate security. There is no special security protection for him, who is a main challenger going for a presidential contest. It is unheard of and unprecedented in the annals of the political history of Nigeria.

“So, as a party, we call on Mr. President to ensure that he provides adequate security to our presidential candidate, his running mate and all the candidates who are contesting. This is because under the Nigerian Constitution, they are entitled to it, especially at times like this, when they become very vulnerable.”

Obidients react

Reacting, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said Obi’s comments reflected what he described as the growing challenges faced by both the former governor and his supporters.

“Peter Obi is just trying to tell you the level of decay in our system and also being futuristic on how dangerously inclined this government can go, not only himself, but all of us that are following him. That is as bad as it can get.

“I remember granting an interview yesterday (Tuesday) when somebody called to tell me that we should all be careful. I don’t know where that is coming from in a democratic setting. So, if His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, is giving a synopsis of some of the things he is facing as an individual, you will find it difficult that virtually almost all of us are in danger.

“We are more or less like an endangered species in the quest for good life for Nigerians. That is the situation as we find ourselves. So, it is good that he has raised it in public domain so people will know the level of challenge and frustration that he is facing,” Tanko said.

“At the moment, he has travelled and presently in America for a programme. On several occasions, he has been frustrated within Nigeria. For instance, we went to Bauchi where he was supposed to deliver a lecture at the university, they stopped him. Obi was supposed to deliver a lecture in Ahmadu Bello University, he was stopped. He was supposed to deliver another lecture at the University of Calabar, they stopped him again.

“He was supposed to also deliver a lecture in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife. I was strictly involved in all of this. That one too was stopped. So you can see the level of frustration? He was trying to engage the Nigerian students. But these people always devise a means to stop him using all the mechanisms of the schools to prevent him from delivering those lectures to the youths.

“So, His Excellency is going through a lot. We are only taking some of the synopsis of some of the things that he is going through. When he mentioned it, he is just trying to tell you the level at which these people can go. That is the truth.”

PDP slams APC

Backing Obi’s claims, the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in an interview with The PUNCH, accused the ruling APC of using political pressure against opposition figures out of fear of growing support ahead of the 2027 elections.

He stated, “It started with the PDP. When we had governors and the governors had legitimate reasons to see the President, the President wouldn’t see them. Have you heard that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has visited Abuja more than twice and waited to see the President but has not been able to see him.

“So, our leaders are being targeted. Opposition figures are being targeted everywhere in this country economically, socially, and I don’t even know, maybe spiritually too. So, the opposition is the target of the ruling party, and it’s simply a sign of being paranoid about the situation because they don’t know that, irrespective of how much they push, Nigerians would align with the opposition. Nigerians are opposed to them.

“So, any other person who is standing on the side of Nigerians, who has the capacity to be a leader in the opposition or the propensity to benefit or become a beneficiary of that anger, is the target of the ruling party.This administration has been administered as a criminal enterprise.

“Nigerians must continue to be resolute in their demand for transparency and in their demand for multi-party democracy.”